Snapped
by Phoenix on cloud nine
Summary: He shrugged. "No big deal. I was probably just too tired to do anything about it. My bad. I'll go get a cab now. See you guys tomorrow." He stood up and wobbled, not really needing the not-so-gentle shove that he received from Harvey for him to fall back onto the couch.


**Guys, I know it's been FOREVER. And I'm sorry about that, truly – real life has gotten in the way more times than I would like, but I had a review for one of my stories, "Five Times Mike Ross Realised He Didn't Have A Dad," and the reviewer (**_**SheLovesGreenTea**_**) suggested that Louis actually DID mess with Mike's bike chain (You may have to reread that fic possibly) and… yeah. It sort of captured my writing juices again and I'm still sincerely apologetic for this, and I still have another fic on the go which I need to get back to, but for now – just this small oneshot :)**

**(Also, I'm going to say this is set somewhere in very early season 2)**

* * *

Mike tiredly plodded out of Pearson Hardman, clutching case files in his arms. He had been at the firm for the past two days and was so tired he hadn't really clicked that when he'd heard Harvey say, "You look like shit, go home for a few hours," the man had _actually _said, "Mike, you need some rest. Go home for at least 12 hours, okay?"

He was so tired, he hadn't even registered Harvey's _caring_. Which wasn't like him, but usually he'd had maybe 5 hours of sleep so he could actually process cognizant thought and could even tell what Harvey really meant when he said something.

But it seemed that this time, he was doing it the other way around.

Maybe he was so shocked by how caring Harvey sounded, he'd twisted it in his head to sound more like _normal _Harvey? But as he was taking the lock off his bike, he decided he could worry about all of this after he'd been to bed. Bed sounded incredibly appealing right now.

"Mike."

He turned slowly, frowning as he saw Louis standing in front of him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Did you… Did you just follow me down here to ask me that?" Mike asked, slowly putting his files into his bag, along with his bike lock. It was at that moment they all slipped out, and he swore, bending down tiredly.

"It's the middle of the day, and you're leaving to go home," Louis said.

"I know, Louis, I was there. Wait, what?" Mike said, realising that didn't really fit in the context of the conversation. "How do you even know I'm going home?"

"Donna," Louis said, and Mike had to wonder when the man had knelt down next to him. He then realised sourly that Louis wasn't even helping to pick up the files. "And I've got to say, Mike, this isn't very good, is it? Leaving half way through the work day because you're tired? When I was an associate, we were expected to do all nighters."

"I've done two, Louis, I need a shower. Take it up with Harvey if you're so bothered," Mike groaned.

"Wait, Harvey said that you could?"

"I think so?" Mike replied, too tired to care about what was even happening. He finally stood up, swaying slightly and blinking away black dots.

"Maybe riding your bike isn't such a good idea," Louis told him, semi-nervously.

"I'm fine, Louis. I'll be back in tomorrow." With that, Mike hoisted himself onto his back and started to bike away.

"I really think you should get a cab!" Louis said, slightly imploringly.

That was when the chain snapped.

Mike took a face dive at the ground and felt his cheek impact with the concrete of the ground.

"Ow."

He lay there for a while, figuring that he had all the time in the world to get out of people's way. People would go easy on a soon-to-be-crippled guy, wouldn't they?

"Mike?"

Someone was saying his name. He should probably answer soon, otherwise it would look rude on his part. He should probably say something along the lines of, 'Don't worry, I'm fine and I'll get up off the floor now.'

"Mghrrr…"

Excellent.

"Mike, you should probably get up."

Was that Louis? He managed to roll over and squinted up, before stopping, realising that squinting hurt more than it should.

"Are you okay?"

_Okay, Mike, get it together. Utilise the English language to the level of which you are capable._

"M'tired."

Getting better. At least there was a word in there somewhere.

"Can you stand up?" Louis looked uncomfortable. Either it was because he'd realised there was a mustard stain on his lapel or there were hundreds of gawkers.

"You've got mustard on you," Mike slurred, pointing to it. He suddenly felt himself propelled up by the armpit and swayed before finally finding solid ground.

The ground was softer than it had been and also sideways again.

Oh.

He'd fallen again and taken Louis with him.

At least Louis was a soft landing.

Grabbing onto consciousness and some of his sanity with both hands, he pulled himself to at least a sitting position, looking over at the other man.

"Your suit's rumpled," he pointed out helpfully, shielding his eyes from the sun as he gazed up at their firm. "Maybe we should go back inside. The ground's softer. Not as soft as you were, but the worst that can happen on that floor is carpet burn. I feel like I just swallowed half a bottle of cologne." He was chatting quite cheerfully, and was pretty happy with himself that he'd managed this entire sentence. It was a huge leap from his original speech.

"Okay," Louis grumbled, standing up and breathing heavily, grabbing Mike by the arm and heaving him upright again, this time doing more care to ensure he didn't fall over.

"My bike," Mike said feebly, making grabby hands at it as he was pushed past it.

"It's broken," Louis told him sharply.

"Oh." He'd liked that bike. Apart from when it bit back just now and snapped on him.

Life slowly started to come back to him, and the hazy fog that had descended was lifting slightly – still enough to be hanging just under his eyebrows, but he finally realised where he was, and that he was upright.

"Why are we back here?" He asked, noticing the shiny elevator.

"I need to change my suit, and you need to be somewhere that won't hurt when you fall over again," Louis grumbled, pushing him out of the elevator and glaring at anyone who dared to look over at them. "You know your way to Harvey's office, don't you?"

"What would you do if I said no?" Louis glared at him, so Mike gave a little grin to show he wasn't serious. "Thanks for saving me, Louis, I'll tell Harvey he owes you… something. I don't know."

With that, he stumbled ever so slightly towards Harvey's office.

* * *

Donna was having an awesome day. Well, she was Donna, most things she did or had were awesome. But today had been good. Harvey was in a good mood, Mike had brought her good coffee and an _amazing _pastry when he had ventured outside for five minutes for air – and Louis hadn't stopped by even once. Oh, and Norma had promised her some incredible gossip later.

Her day was slightly sullied, however, when she saw Mike limping slightly towards her.

"Mike?" She questioned, confused. "Didn't Harvey send you home?"

"I went home," he told her, before shaking his head. "Well, I was going to go home. But my bike hates me." He frowned, and she thought if his eyes got any sadder and more Bambi-like, she may have to sell her handbag to buy him a new bike.

"Are you okay?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Can I sit down for a second?" He asked, leaning on her desk.

"I suppose so," she said slowly, watching him slowly start to crumple. "Mike!" She got up and hurried around the desk, expecting to see him out cold and thinking she'd have to drag him onto Harvey's couch. Instead, he was sitting on the floor, leaning against her desk. "You're not okay."

"Not really. But this ground's comfier than the ground outside. I think that hates me as well."

"You fell of your bike," she deduced, sighing.

"No, it threw me off," he corrected her sadly. "It snapped."

"Bike's can't go insane, Mike – not like some humans," she said pointedly, offering him her hand to get off the floor.

"Not mentally snapped. Physically."

"It… attacked you?"

"The chain snapped." She could tell he was on the verge of saying 'duh' in a really high schooler kind of voice.

"Okay, kiddo," she said, hauling him upright, staying firm and not even wobbling in her heels. "Let's go sit ourselves down on the couch."

He protested all the way in there, but found when he was sitting on it, he sank into it, and wondered why he'd even complained in the first place.

"This feels nice."

"I'm glad," she replied, before pointing at him. "Stay."

"Yes, Ma'am," he said thickly, his eyes closing against his will. "Can I sleep?"

"If it keeps you quiet then yes," she responded. "Harvey'll be back soon, alright?"

"Why should that matter to me?" He slurred, falling asleep and tailing off the end of his sentence.

Donna smirked and shook her head. "I have no idea."

* * *

He stirred slightly after what could only have been half an hour, hearing voices that sounded suspiciously like they were plotting something in the corner of the room.

"If you're planning to put my hand in water, remember whose couch I'm on," he mumbled, not bothering to open his eyes.

"We're not planning anything, hotshot." Harvey. That was Harvey.

"Well stop sounding like you're plotting sinister things."

"We're not plotting."

"Whatever." Mike finally opened his eyes and glanced over at Donna and Harvey, blinking until they were in focus. He frowned when Harvey did. "What?"

"Your face."

"Thanks. Your face sucks too." Mike mumbled, finding it easier to close his eyes rather than keep them open.

"The bruise, genius," Harvey said, exasperatedly. Mike wrenched his eyes open again, and managed to sit up, rubbing at his forehead, flinching when on the way down, one of his hands caught on his cheekbone.

"Ow."

"Yeah." Harvey stood up and passed him a small compact mirror that must have been Donna's. Mike surveyed his face, grimacing at the large gash on his cheek, and the dark bruise on the surrounding area. "You've also managed quite a spectacular lump on your head as well."

Mike prodded around his hair until he winced. Found it.

"Donna said your chain snapped?" Harvey added, staring at him with such intensity that Mike actually felt a little intimidated.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "No big deal. I was probably just too tired to do anything about it. My bad. I'll go get a cab now. See you guys tomorrow." He stood up and wobbled, not really needing the not-so-gentle shove that he received from Harvey for him to fall back onto the couch.

"Stay there. Donna said you were making even less sense than usual when you got back up here."

Mike shrugged. "I was tired, I hit my head. Can I leave now, please?"

"He's at the cranky stage of a concussion," Harvey told Donna, who had been creating some kind of cold compress in the corner.

"I'm not cranky!" He scowled. Harvey gave him a pointed look and he hastily changed the topic. "This is all Louis' fault."

"Really? Do tell me how you came to that conclusion," Harvey said, leaning back against his desk, crossing his arms and looking like he couldn't wait to point out how Mike was an idiot for coming up with whatever theory he was about divulge.

"He made me come back up here after my bike broke. If he hadn't done that, I could be at home right now."

"Yeah, that's a brilliant theory, it explains everything," Harvey said.

"Wait, Louis saw it happen?" Donna asked.

"Yeah, he told me not to ride my bike. Then I did. So it's his fault," He rested his head back on the couch and closed his eyes. "Then it snapped and I face planted and Louis got me up and shoved me in your general direction."

"Louis actually told you not to ride your bike?" Harvey asked, looking confused.

"You told him not to," Donna added.

"Louis – as much as he wishes – is not me. And by the way, why did you ignore me when I told you not to ride it?"

"'Cause I was tired. I still blame Louis. He only told me not to ride it after he found out you'd told me to leave." Mike had no idea how that information was relevant but decided he could leave that for Harvey to decipher.

"Donna, call Ray and get this idiot back to mine for the night," Harvey said.

"What, you're not even going to take him to dinner first?" She asked, smirking, putting the compress on Mike's forehead and smoothing down his hair.

"At least I know there's nothing at my apartment that will kill him. The stairs alone in his might finish him off."

"I think Louis broke my chain," Mike mumbled, leaning into Donna and pressing his forehead to her collar bone. "It seems like the kind of thing he'd do."

"I know, sweetie," she said condescendingly, patting his head.

"You should ask him," he continued. "He looked guilty. But maybe it was 'cause he didn't help me up nicely the second time."

"Second time?" Harvey asked. "You got back on your bike?"

Mike scowled in his general direction. "No. I fell again. He wasn't a very steady… steady thing to lean on."

"Uh huh," Harvey nodded, watching as Mike rolled his head off Donna and curling in on himself slightly.

"I want to go home," he said pathetically, and if Harvey had a heart it would have squeezed slightly.

"You will," Harvey told him, before frowning again. "What's that on your suit?"

"I fell on the floor, Harvey – so I have some concrete on me," Mike slurred.

"You'd do better to keep your idiotic thoughts to yourself, kid," Harvey murmured, examining his suit. There were oil traces all down the sleeves. "Did you loosen or tighten the chain before going?"

"I know that'd snap it, Harvey, I'm not a total idiot. It's probably when Louis grabbed me. He does that. Donna is my tie on straight?"

"No."

"Oh. Harvey, where are you going?" He asked, seeing the man move from his spot.

"I'm going to go chat with Louis. _You_," he emphasised, "are going to stay here and wait for me to get back. Got it?" Mike gave him a sloppy thumbs up and Harvey nodded, leaning forward and gently taking hold of Mike's chin, turning his face and wincing at the large bruise. He grabbed the wrapped ice that Donna held out and gently placed it on the kid's cheekbone, murmuring his apologies when Mike winced.

"Can I go home soon?"

God he sounded pathetic. Harvey thought he should probably tell him to man up.

"Won't be long, buddy."

Perfect.

* * *

"Louis what did you do to my associate?"

Louis paled as soon as Harvey started talking – a rookie mistake but he wanted a quick confession so that he could then get medical professionals to check that Mike wasn't dying.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Louis replied, looking far too interested in the newspaper he was holding upside down.

"Don't bullshit me, Louis – the kid's chain snapped and he has oil down his arms. He's not idiotic enough to tamper with his own chain and as far as I'm aware, _you're _the only one who's been near him that isn't myself or Donna, and neither of us have oil on our hands."

Louis put down the paper, picking up a handkerchief and slowly started to rub his hands.

Harvey rolled his eyes. "Just tell me why so I can kick your ass and leave, Louis, I'm not in the mood."

"I didn't do anything to his chain," Louis said. "Much. I just… I didn't think he should be leaving and thought that if I tightened it, it wouldn't go and he'd have to stay."

"Him leaving work isn't your concern, Louis – Mike is _my _concern and I'd appreciate it if it would stay that way." Harvey went to leave and he could practically _hear _Louis melt in relief that he'd gotten off so lightly. "Oh, and Louis…" He paused before turning again. "If you ever do something like that to Mike again…" He strode forward and punched the man before he could even react. "You'll come off a lot worse."

He left and went back to his own office. He knew that Louis would very soon scuttle to Jessica, or even Hardman, but for the moment he felt a small victory smile creeping onto his cheeks.

"Harvey, there you are," Donna said, slightly relieved. "Mike, why don't you tell all of this to Harvey instead? I'm sure he'd be very interested in all the different models of Starships and the dates they were constructed."

Apparently Mike had been talking a lot when he had been… _talking _to Louis. He sighed but couldn't keep the smirk off his face.

"Did you hit him?" Donna asked, even as Mike kept talking.

"No."

"Was it hard?"

"I didn't hit him."

"Is he bruised?"

"I hope so."

"Good."

They smiled at each other before Harvey finally sighed as Mike tugged on his sleeve in an effort to get him to pay attention to him.

"What?"

"Can we go now?"

"Fine, we're leaving."

"Awesome. Did you know that when Captain Picard was – "

"Mike. Not right now. Okay? Later."

Mike pouted, but Harvey just didn't want Donna to hear him fangirling over Starships with Mike. He'd wait until they were back at his.

* * *

**So... yeah. It didn't really go anywhere but this is just my small sorry for being absent for so long. Hope you enjoyed, please don't hesitate to tell me your thoughts :)**


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